Eden's Story by Chris Beckett

Author:Chris Beckett [Beckett, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781786494344
Publisher: Atlantic Books

Luke Snowleopard

“Thank you for seeing me, Father,” I said to the chief.

We were in a little stone house in forest, which he kept for hunting. I was standing in front of him. He was sitting in a big chair with a woollybuck skin thrown over it, looking me up and down.

“You’re quite a fighter, from what I’ve heard.”

I said that was nice of him and that I liked to think so.

“Tell me . . . er . . . Snowleopard,” the chief said. “Why did you come here from Old Ground? I’d guess your work there was much the same as over here.”

“I’ll tell you the truth, Chief. Me and my mates were bored. We’d got to talking to a few blokes from here who came over to trade, and it sounded as if this place might be interesting.”

“And is it?”

“I like it well enough, Father, but I’m not hard to please. A bit of meat, a fight now and again, a woman or two, and a drop of badjuice.”

“Badjuice?”

“You don’t have it over here, Father. It’s a kind of fruit juice that makes you feel happy.”

“Ah, yes, I heard something about that. I guess you miss it, then?”

“Oh, no, Father, my friends and I make it here. We brought some of the badjuice mud with us. You mix the stuff with fruit juice and let it sit for a while, and then it turns. You should try some, Father. It takes away your troubles. All the ringmen like it back at the Headmanhouse, though they can’t take much be­fore they fall down.”

“So is there anything you miss on the other side? Friends, family?”

He had a polished stick with a band of metal round the top of it, and he tapped it against his hand while we talked. Two of his own ringmen were waiting outside.

“I’m not the family sort, really, Father. I guess I’ve got quite a few kids over there, but I’ve never bothered much with all that.”

“And how does it feel to be with us Johnfolk, after being on David’s side all your life?”

“It feels good, Father, if only because it’s a change. I’m going to tell you the truth: Johnfolk or Davidfolk, it doesn’t make much difference to me. I don’t really care about those old stories. I know you’ve got to have them to keep the women and kids happy, but for myself I don’t give a bat’s dick.”

The chief found that funny. “Well, you say what you think, I will give you that.”

“Not to everyone, Father, but somehow I had a feeling you’d know what I meant. John, David, Gela: They’re all just children’s stories as far as I’m concerned. Me and my mates like fighting, and we’ll fight hard for anyone who looks after us. So any old story you want us to stick up for, well just tell us which one, and we’ll do it.”

“You know the Ringwearer, I believe?”

“We knew her dad, Father. Blackglass, we called him.”

“What was he like?”

“Oh, you know, another fighting man: raised to be tough and hard, and not too bothered about anything.

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